Jeweler&#39;s polishing-wheel.



W. H. FORD.

JEWELER'S POLISHING WHEEL.

APPLlCATlON FILED JAN. 29. 1913.

Patented Aug. 17, 1915.

I WILLIAM H. FORD, 0F LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOIR, OF ONE-HALF TOFRANK HANCHETT, OF LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS.

JEWELERS POLISHINGNVHEEL.

Application filed January 29, 1913.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. F0121), a citizen of the United States,and resident of Lowell, in the county of Middlesex and State ofMassachusetts, have invented an Improvement in JewelersPolishing-Wheels, of which the following description, in connection withthe accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on thedrawings representing like parts.

In the manufacture of jewelry there are many places where the ordinarygrinding and polishing wheel is difficult to operate. For instance,between the clamps of a stone setting (6. g. Belcher or Tiffany), andaccordingly it has been common to provide a thin disk of wood, run athigh speed and keep rubbing over its surface emery, tripoli, rottenstone, etc. But the wood is frail, tends to splinter, will not enduremuch pressure, quickly Wears out, and fails to retain the powderedmineral. I have found that indurated fiber of the kind commonly known onthe market as vulcanized fiber, is

not only durable and moldable, but possesses just that degree offlexibility and toughness which permits it to endure hard pressure andrough usage at high speed, without danger of breaking, and it has notendency to splinter, will maintain a fine edge or other sharpconfiguration, is capable of being molded with the utmost nicety andaccuracy of pattern and finish, does not tend to fly in pieces or toburst under the high speed desired (for instance, four thousandrevolutions per minute), does not become destructively heated, and isadmirably adapted to carrying and retaining in its surface the powderedabradant.

Further features and advantages of my invention will be pointed out inthe course of the following description.

In the drawings I have shown a plurality of preferred embodiments of myinvention, Figure 1 showing one'form of rin polisher in edge elevation,and Figs. 2 and 3 showing the same in side elevation and vertical crosssection; and Figs. 4-6 are similar views of a different form of theinvention, showing a more delicate embodiment of the polishing wheel.

The first im ortantfeature of my invention to which direct attention isthe material:- of which the wheel is composed, viz., fiber of the kindcommonly known on the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 17, 1915.

Serial N 0. 744,825.

different sizes for polishing different portions of a ring or of otherjewelry, and having one or both sides provided with a surface 5.

In Figs. 4 and 5 I have shown a form of wheel having a relatively thickcentral supporting body 6, and a thin central radial rib or finlikeflange 7, one or both sides of the body 6 having a knurled surface 8,the same as the surface 5. After long experimentation I have found thatnearly all of the difiiculties of the ordinary wooden abrading wheel asused by jewelers are obviated by using a molded wheel (or other form ofrotary polishing or grinding tool) made of this fiber. It is homogeneousand tough and smooth, and yet is capable of receiving into its fiber orsmooth surface enough of the emery powder to become transformed therebyinto a superior polishing or abrading surface. It has no tendency tofracture, splinteror crack, and it does not burst or lose its shapeunder exceedingly high speed. It is not compressible, and yet issufliciently flexible or yielding so as not to break or chip underordinarily rough usage, and it of the'abrading or polishing powder, suchas emery, tripoli, etc. These kerfs are very fine, so as not tointerfere themselves with the polishing or grinding, and are packed fullof the emery, for instance, and give up this emery or other powder veryslowly, but yet sufliciently to maintain the desired fine abradingsurface at the edge of the wheel, or over the surface engaged by thework. As shown in' Figs. 2 and 5, these pockets or kerfs 9 extendtangentially of the center, and the wheel is to be rotated in thedirection of the arrow, as I have found that by this means by far thebest results are secured. In the case of such a wheel as that shown inFigs. 4 and 5, which is run at an exceedingly high speed, it isdesirable to form angular inner ends 10 in the saw kerfs, or at least tomake the kerfs curved or bent more or less, so as thereby to tend toretain'the powder more securely. Preferably the sides of the wheels areknurled, as indicated at 11, so as to hold abradant therein, in case thesides of the Wheels are to be used for polishing or grinding purposes.The curves of this knurled surface are quite shallow, as distinguishedfrom the depth of the recesses 9.

In use the wheel is placed on a. shaft 12 or 13, and secured as by a nut14 or 15, and then rotated at the desired high speed required for thework. Let it be supposed that powdered tripoli has been packed into therecesses 9 and 10 and smeared in a thin" film over the polished surfaceof the wheel, the work is held against the grooves 2, 3, and 4 oragainst the side or edge of the fin or flange 7, or against the knurledside or other surface and quickly brought to the desired finish. Theremarkable feature is that the wheel does not wear out and does not loseits shape, but instead thereof it keeps its sharply molded shape andtransmits just that amount of polishing or abrading material over itssurface and from the recesses 9 that seems to be required for the givenwork.

I believe that I am the first to have discovered that indurated fiberpossesses the qualities required for a high speed rotary polishingwheel, and is capable of solving the difficulties which'have alwaysheretofore attended this art, and which the trade has for many yearstried in vain to solve. As to the tangential saw kerfs, I have foundthat if they are made radial and even if the wheel is rotated in theopposite direction, they will deliver the emery but imperfectly, andtherefore, while I claim specifically the preferred form, I do notintend to be restricted thereto in all my claims.

The arrangement of the saw kerfs in a fiber Wheel causes these kerfs tospring open during the working action, and, therefore, to feed thepolishing material automatically to the work, dependent upon the speedof the wheel and pressure of the work thereagainst.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent is:

1. A jewelers abrading or polishing wheel having a grooved work-engagingsurface formed of molded indurated fiber having a plurality of kerfsopening into the work engaging surface, said kerfs being filled withabrading or polishing material and adapted to have the outer ends ofsaid kerfs opened by the action of the work thereagainst, whereby theabrading or polishing material is automatically fed to said surface.

2. An abrading or polishing wheel having a grooved work receivingsurface composed of molded indurated fiber, and containing recessesopening at the work receiving surface and extending tangentially of thecenter for carrying the abrading or polishing powder, said recessesbeing constructed and arranged to spring open by the action of the workupon the wheel.

3. An abrading or polishing wheel having its work receiving surfacecomposed of molded indurated fiber, and containing recesses opening atthe work receiving-surface for carrying the abrading or polishingpowder, and a knurled side. I

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

' WILLIAM H. F 0RD.

WVitnesses:

EDWARD MAXWELL, JAMES R. HODDER.

